Queer young people, or young people who are sexuality diverse and/or trans and gender diverse, face a higher lifetime likelihood of homelessness than their cis-heterosexual peers. However, queer young people are often treated as a homogenous group within research, a methodological decision that obscures differences on the basis of gender identity.…

This paper examines the rise of social enterprise in relation (and in response) to the contemporary nexus between education and work. Contextualising social enterprise within the broader trend toward private influences in education, the paper explores how diffuse networks driven by both market ideals and a social conscience are shaping new sites…

Adolescents' empathy is an essential socio-emotional concept that helps mediate friendships and family relationships. Year 10 boys, aged 15-17 years, were invited to participate in a five-day experiential education program (Design Week) based on a social equity challenge using a Design Thinking concept. Students worked in small groups, mentored by…

In this essay, we discuss the Australian Government's refusal to provide international students with adequate support during the COVID-19 pandemic, in spite of the hardships these students are facing in relation to mental health, financial hardship, exploitation and the risk of homelessness. We call on the Australian Government to provide better…

Adolescence and young adulthood is a critical period in a person's life. Young people can experience rapid physical, social and emotional changes. For many, these changes occur while they are also making the transition from dependence to independence. This is a time for finishing school, pursuing further training and education, entering the…

The aim of this research project was to examine how wraparound supports are represented in the Australian national and NSW state policies and schools and to identify best practices and models of wraparound support. The grey literature from seven sectors, i.e., youth justice, out of home care, disability, mental health, drug and alcohol,…

Faced with broad scale cancellation of allied health student placements due to COVID-19, placement coordinators at The University of Melbourne Department of Rural Health established remote, online work-integrated learning placements across a range of settings, including a primary school, specialist school, kindergarten association and a…

Young people entering homelessness often do so while still at school. This study explores Australian teachers' and other student support staff perspectives of the experiences of students who are running away from home, the barriers to student help-seeking, and how local youth services can best support secondary schools to provide necessary…

Little is known about long-term outcomes for homeless youth once they leave secondary school. The present study aimed to fill this gap. An online survey was completed by 29 ex-students who, during 1997-2011, attended a small alternative secondary school in an inner suburb of a large city in Australia. While at the school most achieved at least a…

Objectives: Food insecurity remains an issue for vulnerable populations in developed countries. The potential dietary and food security impacts of nutrition education programmes in Australia remain largely undocumented. This study investigated the impacts of an eight-session nutrition education programme delivered within community case management…

Across national contexts, in the attempt to develop and buttress "knowledge economies", increasing pressure is placed on the need for flexible lifelong learners capable of constant knowledge and skills renewal. In this paper, I explore the impact of this broader sociopolitical context on the policy approach to poverty and, in particular,…

Child poverty is a global issue that affects around half the children in the world; it is inextricably bound to the poverty experienced by their parents and families and has been identified by the United Nations as a human rights issue. Child poverty can be a barrier to children and young people accessing school education or achieving any form of…

University programs are currently faced with a number of challenges: how to engage students as active learners, how to ensure graduates are "work ready" with broad and relevant professional skills, and how to support students to see their potential as agents of social change and contributors to social good. This paper presents the…

Little contemporary research has examined young people's experiences of violence and homelessness in detail within the Australian context. This article draws upon qualitative research with 33 homeless youth in Melbourne and seeks to enhance understanding of the impact of violence on young people. It argues that everyday experiences of violence…

This article reveals the nature of actions, discussions and relationships which helped forge school-community partnerships for engaged student learning and wider community participation for students and families living under difficult socio-economic circumstances. Specifically, the article draws upon interviews with key personnel and staff…